Oct. 18, 2013

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COVINGTON — Talk to almost anyone who lives or works in Covington and mention the name “Spike,” and they immediately know whom you’re talking about – and probably even have a story about him to share.

Most police chiefs can’t buy that kind of recognition, but Michael “Spike” Jones is not most chiefs.

His roots in the community run deep, from the house in the Austinburg neighborhood where he grew up to the corner office at police headquarters he now calls his own.

“Spike’s the first chief in several years who has lived in the city of Covington. With the exception of the few years he was away at college, he’s lived in Covington all of his life,” said Kenton Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders. “That investment in the community shows in the way Spike goes about his job. It’s a lot more than just a paycheck to him.”

Jones, 48, just marked 25 years at the Covington Police Department. He rose up through the ranks from patrol officer to police chief. In between, he worked everything from vice and street crimes to narcotics to night operations – building relationships in and out of the department as he went.

When city leaders were looking for a new police chief in mid-2012, Jones was their unanimous choice. Just to make sure, however, about 150 residents organized a petition drive in support of him.

“You have a man who was born and raised here, who was on the force as long as Spike, who had the record that he had – it was just a no-brainer,” said Licking Riverside resident Candace Witte. “I think it was just a super choice.”

Running Northern Kentucky’s largest municipal police force is not an easy task: You’re overseeing 100 people on an ever-tightening budget and reporting to a five-person City Commission whose members seem increasingly fractured.

You’re responding to the needs of 40,000 residents and thousands of businesses spread across a dozen or so distinct neighborhoods, from the upscale Licking Riverside district to the gritty City Heights area. The police blotter includes everything from murder and heroin trafficking, to vehicle break-ins and vicious dogs.

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Previous chiefs of police warned Jones about the rigors of the job before he threw his hat in the ring, “but it’s been a pleasure,” he said.

“There are days that are challenging, but there’s never a day when I don’t want to be the person that’s dealing with it.”

Part of that is due to his personality: Jones is an easygoing guy who bears the burdens of the job more lightly than most. But having grown up in Covington and spent his career there also gives him a unique perspective. His focus is on community policing: building relationships with residents and neighborhood groups and making sure the force is a positive influence in the community.

“I’ve been impressed from day one on his manner, the way he goes about operating the department,” said City Manager Larry Klein. “He’s doing an excellent job. He was quick to establish his vision and did not squander any time in redirecting the energy of the department in one direction, unified. He’s the epitome of the right guy in the right place at the right time.”

Jones is well-liked not only in the community and at City Hall, but within the department as well.

He knows each of the officers, their families and who they are outside of the badge. He often goes running with fellow officers on his lunch hour. He’s made small – but not insignificant – changes such as moving the roll call room out of the dark, dingy basement at police headquarters.

“He’s done an excellent job, especially in the area of raising morale,” said Lt. Brian Valenti, head of the Covington Fraternal Order of Police. “One of Spike’s biggest assets is he knows everybody. He doesn’t just know their name, he knows about their family. He takes the time to get to know what’s important to that person as an individual and not just as an officer.”

That has earned him the respect and loyalty of the force. It helps that becoming chief doesn’t seem to have changed him much: Just as he did during his six years as assistant chief, Jones would much rather be out in the community than stuck behind a desk.

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“You can still hear Spike on the radio; he’ll make traffic stops from time to time,” Sanders said. “He’s out there doing the job, getting his own hands dirty day in and day out, even though he’s the chief.

“It’s leadership by example, and it’s got ripple effects throughout his department: They follow that. The pride that Spike has in his work and his officers’ work trickles down through the department, to the newest patrolman. And they all go about their jobs with the same professionalism and enthusiasm that starts at the top.”

Retirement doesn’t seem to be in the cards anytime soon, even though Jones became eligible five years ago. But when that time does come, he wants to know he did the best job he could for his hometown.

“I’ve always wanted to stay here when I retire, and I want to be able to face these people and know that I made the best decisions for the city and for the police department during my tenure here,” he said. “I’m not the chief of police of a department who serves a city of a bunch of strangers; they’re people who I know and who I care about.” ⬛